What's In a Name?
by CatCunning
Summary: There's a reason he called her Watchtower OllieXChloe


Cat: Hey all! Um, yeah. I wrote this at midnight and edited it when I was supposed to be paying attention to classes. So it's not exactly my best work.

**Disclaimer: I wish. **

"Okay, Chloe," AC said, clearly taking more pleasure in the induction of a new almost-member of the team than he should have. No one in the room could really blame him for that, especially considering that Bart had referred to him strictly as "the New Guy" for three solid weeks. "You're gonna need a codename." In the room his words caused a slight stir. It was nice for them to have something to think about other than their captured friend. Besides, no one could do something as important as joining the team without some ceremony.

Victor looked excited and immediately glanced towards Chloe. The blonde looked at AC as though he were incredible pathetic. As far as she was concerned codenames were childish. She'd never used one with Clark and had never regretted that fact. Why were these boys so instant on making this a bigger deal than it actually was? In and out of the building. That was it for the Mission of the Day. If she had her way it would be done stealthily. But from the way that they were carrying on Chloe wouldn't be surprised if they decided to blow the entire facility off the map.

"I'm dead serious." AC informed her at her look and Victor nodded in solemn agreement.

Oliver tried to stay detached from the situation. He needed to find Bart. Bart was his responsibility. And if anything happened to him it would be his fault. He cared what happened to the kid, but for some reason he was having trouble focusing on his task.

He kept his eyes focused on the computer screen, gaze glancing repeatedly across the exact same line of text. His brain wasn't processing the information, and he hated that. He hated that he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her green eyes. Her adorable tone as she rambled almost nervously. Her slightly awkward stance before him, fingers still dully clutching a stack of information, but while she piped up into the conversation as though she'd been on the team for her entire life.

"You're actually serious."

Her voice was light. Surprised and almost astounded, but in a happy way. It was clear she was excited and trying not to show it. It made Ollie happy too, and he didn't understand why.

Lois. He reminded himself loudly. He was dating Lois, not her cousin. He was taking Lois on a vacation, not her cousin.

But it was Chloe who was clever enough to discover his secret. And it was Chloe who was protecting that secret.

"I've got a monopoly on anything computer related." Victor declared. "So you're gonna hafta come up with something different." The cyborg's defensive tone barely registered for Oliver. It met his brain as unnecessary background noise. Somehow it was an annoying distraction, though the Green Arrow wasn't sure why.

She was protecting him, hiding his secret from the world. Even from the people that she cared about.

Lois had tried to expose him. The knowledge shook him. It was like when the lights flickered during a violent storm, unexpected and disturbing.

"What exactly does that leave?" Chloe shot back at Victor.

"I don't know—Girl Scout?" He suggested. Chloe's incredulous gaze was the only response that she graced him with. "What?" He said, again sounding very defensive. "Then you can Clark could match."

Chloe was looking out for him. It left Oliver with an unshakable feeling of security, one as frightening to him as anything he'd ever known. It was unexpected and strange. He hadn't experienced security since childhood.

It was like a lighthouse. She stood between him and the sharp rocks of society, constantly on guard. Well, no. That was such a passive metaphor. Lighthouses were steady and inanimate. Chloe was everything but inanimate.

She was more like a soldier. An ancient warrior who watched from the fortress during the dark night. Waiting and prepared for any opponent, fully armed for battle.

Words rose within him unintentionally, but when he spoke Oliver made a point to sound firm. He liked to be in control, and the lack of power over his own thoughts was terrifying him. So he retaliated by expressing control over his team. Over her.

"Watchtower." He declared.

Cat: Please review! I crave feedback!!


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